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Strengthening EPR capacities in Central
America through DFID funds
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Latin America & the Caribbean and DFID:
2014-2015 at a glance
STRENGTHENING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
CAPACITIES IN CENTRAL AMERICA WITH WFP AND UNICEF
Timely and effective response is vital to save lives during emergencies.
In 2014, the Department for International Development (DFID)
invested £10 million to enhance emergency preparedness and
response (EPR) capacities across the world to respond within the first
72 hours after a disaster strikes. The project entitled “Strengthening
Humanitarian Preparedness in High Risk Countries,” empowered the
UN Child’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to
support governments and communities in reinforcing their emergency
response capacities. In the Latin America and Caribbean region, WFP
and UNICEF implement this initiative in El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras and Nicaragua. These four countries face high exposure to
extreme recurrent events such as floods, hurricanes and droughts.
The primary goals of the DFID project are:
1. To improve the capacities of WFP and UNICEF to launch an
appropriate and effective humanitarian response, within the
first 72 hours after an emergency
2. To strengthen the emergency response of the humanitarian
network, including key local and national counterparts, within
the first 72 hours after an emergency
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS:
UNICEF; National Disaster Management Administrations (NDMAs) of the four Central
American countries; United Nations Emergency Technical Teams (UNETT); Regional Risk,
Emergency and Disaster Task Force in Latin America and the Caribbean (RedLAC)
Guatemala:
ICT &
emergencies
training
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I. Country
accomplishments
The following are examples
of selected activities in
the recipient countries:
El Salvador: Expanding Cash
and Vouchers (C&V) C&V provides a mechanism for a rapid surge in
WFP´s emergency response capacities. With
DFID funding, the El Salvador Country Office
worked in 140 of the country’s most vulnerable
municipalities to identify potential commercial
distribution mechanisms for cash and voucher
exchanges. As a result, WFP now has a verified
list of potential food providers, so that WFP can
call upon these suppliers during an emergency
response.
Guatemala:
Telecommunications Training During emergencies, the ability to communicate
is of utmost importance, especially if telephone
and internet lines are down. DFID funds were
key in strengthening emergency
telecommunications capacities. In September
2014, the Regional Bureau carried out trainings
on the use of telecommunications equipment
and services for emergencies in Guatemala.
Participants learned how to use radios, GPS and
voice and data satellite communications.
Participants also reviewed with Guatemala’s
National Coordination for Disaster Reduction
Agency (CONRED) to learn about their
emergency operations and identified areas
where WFP and CONRED can better support each
other in emergency situations.
Honduras: Certification in Risk
Management Honduras was one of the most affected countries
by weather-related events between 1993-2012,
according to Germanwatch. In light of Honduras’
vulnerability to natural disasters, the National
Autonomous University of Honduras, the Earth
and Sciences Studies Institute and the World
Food Programme developed an academic
programme in Disaster Risk Management. These
courses received funding support from DFID and
are aimed at developing response mechanisms,
combining theoretical learning with field practice
in seven main topic areas, including: geological
events; meteorological events; drought, erosion
and desertification; flooding; air, water and soil
pollution; forest fires and food security.
Nicaragua: Logistics Capacity
Assessment (LCA) in
vulnerable areas WFP and Nicaragua’s National System for
Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Relief
(SINAPRED) carried out an LCA in Waspam,
which is one of the most disaster-prone areas in
the country. The objective of this LCA was to
collect primary information on community
habits, livelihoods, and available infrastructure in
order to better understand the situation in the
region and tailor EPR activities accordingly. WFP
visited locations for food storage, interviewed
owners of storage facilities and officials from
over-land and aquatic transportation companies.
With this information, WFP was able to evaluate,
analyse, select and register strategic locations
for emergency situations. The government, WFP
and other humanitarian partners are now better
positioned to reduce risks and strengthen
preparedness and response operations linked to
food security.
Guatemala: British Representative receiving
recognition for DFID´s support
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II. Inter-agency collaboration
Equip Emergency Situation
Rooms
El Salvador WFP’s El Salvador office developed an inter-
agency situation room for the country’s
humanitarian actors to monitor potential disasters
before they strike, to timely plan for effective
responses and to support the government with a
highly experienced team of experts during the
first 72 hours after an emergency. The Situation
Room is equipped with radios and seven flat-
screen televisions that display the latest news on
disasters and weather data from El Salvador’s
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
(MARN) ´s Environmental Observatory as well as
from news services. UNETT members and the
National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA)
can access the Situation Room during emergency
situations.
Guatemala
In 2015, WFP Guatemala inaugurated an inter-
agency mobile Situation Room to support the
humanitarian teams during emergency response
efforts. This mobile unit is equipped with tents,
computers, radios, emergency travel kits, a
generator, solar panels and ICT equipment, ready
to be assembled and organized into a situation
room at any time and place. The mobile situation
room is accessible by all of UNETT and key
government counterparts, serving as a vital tool
for emergency monitoring and response planning.
El Salvador: Emergency Tool Kit Easy access to information and emergency
protocols is vital during the first 72 hours after a
disaster hits. At the request of El Salvador´s
NDMA, WFP and UNICEF developed an emergency
tool kit. This is a selection of key documents that
includes norms, protocols and a ¨what to do¨
guide in case of volcanic eruptions, floods,
hurricanes, and other emergencies. The tool kit
was given to leaders responsible for emergency
preparation and response activities at the
municipal and departmental government levels,
so that they can rapidly follow emergency
protocols after a disaster strikes. The Tool Kit was
presented by the Salvadorian NDMA at the
inauguration of the Situation Room in April 2015.
Nicaragua: Interagency
Simulation Exercise Simulation exercises allow officials and
community members to test their emergency
response mechanisms and improve their
coordination strategies. In late 2014, WFP,
UNICEF and OCHA ran a hurricane simulation
exercise in Bluefields to improve coordination
between humanitarian actors in a remote and
disaster-prone area of the country. Participants
from UNETT, the Nicaraguan NDMA, and
humanitarian organizations, took part of exercise
- with RedLac providing technical assistance. This
hurricane simulation helped to strengthen
connectivity and cooperation among the various
participating organizations.
El Salvador: Newly equipped Emergency Situation
Room used by inter-agency team
Nicaragua: Emergency simulation exercise with
the Civil Protection and the humanitarian net-
work in Bluefields
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IV. SPOTLIGHT: C&V Activities in the
Central America region
WFP has recently started to diversify its emergency response modalities in the region. In
addition to food distributions during
emergencies, WFP is increasingly looking
to cash and voucher (C&V) transfers for a
quick and effective response. C&V is al-
lowing WFP to come closer to responding
within the first 72 hours after an emer-
gency.
With generally well-functioning markets
and frequent service providers, Latin
American operations generally favour the
use of C&V. DFID supported the Regional
Bureau’s C&V Unit in building internal
Country Office capacities for emergency
response. This capacity building has been key to expanding the CO readiness for C&V respons-
es.
With DFID funding, WFP extended lessons learned from a C&V emergency response in Para-
guay to Central America. Additional tools were developed, including market studies and supply
chain studies, as well as guidelines on how to launch an emergency response within the first
72 hours after a disaster. The work in Central America was done in coordination with partners
and local and national governments.
In mid 2015, two major situations
threaten food and nutrition security of
vulnerable populationsin Central
America: the drought, which has
affected the Dry Corridor since mid-
2014, and the coffee rust, which has
devastated coffee plantations
throughout the region. WFP has re-
sponded to both of these emergencies
in through C&V .
During 2015, there has been a scale-
up of C&V operations in the region,
particularly in El Salvador, Guatemala
and Honduras. With additional funding for 2016-2017, WFP hopes to further refine C&V
72-hours through response times and assuring that more government officials are trained in
the use of C&V.
El Salvador: Drought –affected woman using her voucher
at the supermarket
Honduras: Drought-affected beneficiaries receiving cash from
the bank
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V. Innovative Products Emergency assessments: A 72-hr Emergency Food Security Assessment (EFSA) was
developed to analyse the food security situation immediately after a shock. The tool uses
secondary data pre and post crisis as well as interviews and occasionally field visits. The EFSA
72-hr identifies the urgent food and non-food needs and compiles
information on nutrition, cash and voucher usage, and food security.
Manual for Nutrition in Emergencies: This was developed to
ensure that nutrition security is integrated into the emergency
operation implementation and in preparedness activities. It contains
protocols with minimum preparedness measures, highlights the
nutritional needs of vulnerable groups and explains how to
determine the appropriate response mechanism for varying degrees
of under nutrition.
ICT Emergency equipment: ICT equipment was pre-positioned in
all four WFP Central American country offices and at the Panama
Regional Bureau to ensure staff preparedness in telecommunications during the first 72 hours
after an emergency. Country Offices received an Emergency Management Kits (EMK),
containing necessary tools to be able to continue supporting an emergency operation from
remote areas when telecommunication systems collapses.
High Energy Biscuits (HEBs) prepositioned in El Salvador: 18 metric tonnes have been
pre-positioned in El Salvador for use in the four countries in case of sudden-onset
emergencies.
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Looking ahead to DFID II
In 2015—2016, DFID II funds will include WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR and OCHA.
These funds will continue to focus on the CA4 (El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras and Nicaragua), as well as on the Caribbean with particular
attention for Haiti.
For more information contact:
william.vigil@wfp.org or cristina.bentivolgio@wfp.org
World Food Programme
Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean
These products are replicable throughout Latin America and therefore
will benefit the region as a whole
Honduras: inter-agency simulation exercise Guatemala: Mobile emergency center
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